Moradian-Oldak will couple the MMP-20
discovery with another study published Nov. 2 in the Journal of Biomedical
Engineering and Informatics, which concluded an amelogenin-chitosan hydrogel
could repair early tooth decay by growing an enamel-like layer that reduces
lesions by up to 70 percent.
"Recognizing MMP-20's function in
biomineralization is one of the first steps to learning how dental enamel forms
in nature," said Qichao Ruan, lead author of the hydrogel study and a
postdoctoral research associate in the Center for Craniofacial Molecular
Biology at USC. "The findings regarding MMP-20 not only help us to further
understand the mechanisms of enamel formation but [they] also can be applied in
the design of novel biomaterials for future clinical applications in dental
restoration or repair."
The Food and Drug Administration has
not yet approved any type of enamel regrowing gel. USC is in pre-clinical
trials. Moradian-Oldak said one day people may be able to use an overnight
mouth guard or teeth strips saturated with hydrogel to regrow enamel-like
substances and reduce teeth sensitivity.
Finding the right fix
Products such as toothpaste and
mouthwash containing fluoride and casein phosphopeptide-amorphous calcium
phosphate promote remineralization of initial enamel lesions; however, they
need to be used regularly and are more of a tire patch than a real solution,
Moradian-Oldak said. It plugs up the problem so people don't feel pain. The gel,
however, fills the cracks and holes with an enamel-like substance.
In the United States, 92 percent of
adults aged 20 to 64 have had dental decay in their permanent teeth,
Moradian-Oldak said. Grinding teeth at night, gum recession and the
disappearance of enamel over a lifetime due to demineralizing acidic food and
drink are all common problems people everywhere face.
When tested in an environment that
mimics an oral cavity's biochemical processes, the gel created a robust
attachment, eliminating the threat of secondary cavities in the same spot, Ruan
said. The gel could be more effective than traditional crowns, whose adhesion
weakens over time, he added.
"Besides biocompatibility and
biodegradability, the gel has unique antimicrobial and adhesion properties that
are important for dental applications," Ruan said.
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